Dolly Parton To Be Honored As 2019 MusiCares Person Of The Year

The eight-time GRAMMY winner will be the first artist from the Nashville music community to be honored at the annual GRAMMY Week gala benefiting music people in need

Nate Hertweck

MusiCares

Sep 4, 2018 - 5:49 pm

Dolly Parton, country music's most-honored female performer of all-time, is about to add a very prestigious achievement to her list: 2019 MusiCares Person Of The Year.

Recording Academy and MusiCares President/CEO Neil Portnow announced today that Parton will be the honoree at 29th annual benefit gala. Proceeds from the event will provide essential support for MusiCares, a charity founded by the Recording Academy that ensures music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical, and personal need. The tribute will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 8, 2019, two nights prior to the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards.

"Dolly Parton has always been and continues to be a courageous trailblazer and indomitable inspiration for creators and artists—so for us to have the opportunity to honor her at our annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala is to pay tribute to a true pillar of strength and someone who we all look up to and cherish," said Portnow. " Dolly also knows the power of philanthropy and she has used her stardom to contribute to a wide range of causes from natural disasters to education and literacy programs."

"I am so excited and humbled to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year," said Parton. "It's even more special knowing the gala benefits music people in need. I can't wait to hear all of the great artists singing my music."

Parton was recognized by the Recording Academy in 2011 with the Lifetime Achievement Award. With this latest honor, the country music icon earns the distinction of becoming the first artist from the Nashville music community to be honored at the annual GRAMMY Week gala benefiting music people in need.

"I couldn't think of anyone more deserving to be the first MusiCares Person of the Year representing the Nashville music community," says Parton's manager, Danny Nozell, CEO, CTK Management. "It's been a privilege to witness her generous heart firsthand for the last 14 years."

The MusiCares Person Of The Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week and includes a reception and silent auction offering an exclusive selection of one-of-a-kind items for bidding guests followed by a dinner and tribute concert featuring renowned musicians and other artists paying tribute to Parton's music and legacy.

The Truth About Opioids: How To Turn The Tide On Addiction

Some of the most commonly prescribed pain medications can also be the most dangerous — before you begin, first get the facts about opioids

Nate Hertweck

MusiCares

Mar 29, 2018 - 1:04 pm

Understanding the purpose, dangers, and the side effects of any drug is critical before beginning treatment. Such as the case with opioids, a group of drugs commonly used to treat pain and relieve suffering. As these drugs become more and more commonly prescribed — and abused — it's important to arm yourself with a strong understanding of what they are, what they do, and how to manage their use before putting yourself at risk of addiction or overdose.

Dave Navarro's Powerful Message Of Hope

According to a recent piece from Turn The Tide Rx, "Opioids are drugs that work by reducing the intensity of pain signals that reach your brain. These drugs can be helpful for a short time but they have serious risks. Up to 1 out of 4 people receiving long-term opioid therapy in a primary care setting struggles with addiction."

This alarming statistic warrants a closer look at the drugs themselves, and their alternatives, before beginning treatment. Commonly prescribed opioids include Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Codeine, Morphine, and Fentanyl, and while all of these can be an important part of pain treatment in some circumstances, their short-term benefits must be weighed against the lack of scientific evidence that opioids are the best prescription pathway to properly treat chronic pain.

The more serious risks of using opioids are addiction and overdose. Addiction to these drugs can destroy careers, families, and lives. Overdosing on opioids can even happen by accident due to their effect on the part of the brain that regulates breathing, especially when combined with alcohol or sedative medicines. These types of chemical mixtures are often present in fatal overdoses.

These drugs also come with dangerous side effects including nausea, vomiting, constipation, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, and increased sensitivity to pain.

Because of these dangers, many seek alternative pain treatments to opioids. And if you are prescribed opioids, you should be careful to manage your pain in a way that keeps you safe. Start with a low dosage and go slow, remembering to never take opioids in greater amounts than prescribed. Avoid taking opioids with alcohol or mixing with any other sedatives, muscle relaxers, sleeping pills or other prescription pain relievers. Be sure to follow up regularly with your doctor, especially if you are taking opioids long-term.

Most importantly, remember that help is only a phone call away. If you or someone you love is in danger of misusing or abusing opioids call your doctor immediately or contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's treatment help line at (800) 662-HELP. If you are a music person in need of help, please call MusiCares at (800) 687-4227.

For the first time, Ultra and MusiCares partner to provide artists and crew with custom ear molds and free hearing protection

Nate Hertweck

MusiCares

Mar 24, 2018 - 4:49 pm

Each year in late March, Miami is taken over by dance music DJs, industry players and enthusiasts. At the core of the festivities is Ultra Music Festival, a three-day blowout in downtown Miami featuring the world's biggest DJs and live acts. This year, for the first time, MusiCares partnered with Ultra to provide free custom hearing protection for artists, engineers, crew members, and other music professionals working at the festival.

With its mission to provide health and human services to those working in the music community, MusiCares has a long track record of providing information and resources to promote hearing protection. Throughout the year, the organization presents hearing clinics at music festivals, conventions and live music events across the country.

"I really believe in what you are doing and that custom fitted ear devices are actually the future of hearing protection."

Backstage at Ultra this weekend, MusiCares set up shop to capture custom ear molds from artists and crew members to provide free hearing protection.

Dozens of people took advantage of the services, with clients expressing their gratitude and excitement.

"I really believe in what you are doing and that custom fitted ear devices are actually the future of hearing protection," said one music pro.

"I thought the experience was seamless and easy," said another. "Actually, it felt refreshingly cool in the ear to get the measurement, and I can't wait to have my own custom in-ears."

With all of the festival sets, club shows and after parties in Miami this weekend, the need for hearing protection awareness and supplies is as crucial as ever. Through partnerships such as these, MusiCares hopes to help more people create and enjoy the music for longer.

Reprising their Person of the Year performance, the band is dedicating proceeds of the song to our organization's work

Philip Merrill

MusiCares

Oct 12, 2018 - 4:51 pm

The soundtrack for the 1996 movie She's The One featured an original soundtrack by the late Tom Petty, and its single "Walls (Circus)" carries on with its message that a big heart can only remain surrounded by a barricade for a limited time. Now the Lumineers have reprised the anthem, donating all proceeds to MusiCares for its work helping members of the music community in critical times of need.

Honored at the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year gala for his charity work, Petty's own big heart and philanthropic generosity was the theme of the evening. The Lumineers performed "Walls" at the occasion — an unforgettable moment rendered more poignant by Petty's tragic death at 66 later that year.

"After we played, Petty told me how much he liked and appreciated the version, which was a great honor," lead vocalist Wesley Schultz told Rolling Stone. "This is our way of paying homage to him."

One year later the pain of losing Petty still feels fresh but so is the inspiration of his legacy, music that carries on making a difference in millions of lives. The Lumineers' generosity will also enrich many lives, for those coping with struggle and receiving assistance from MusiCares' many dedicated programs.

James Blake On How To Cope With Feelings Of Isolation During Touring

The GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter provides insight on combatting depression and anxiety that can come from life on tour

Nate Hertweck

MusiCares

Aug 16, 2018 - 4:45 pm

Most musicians dream of life on the road – each day a new town, each night a new audience. But the reality of touring is psychologically demanding. Few artists voice these challenges, though recently singer/songwriter James Blakehad the courage to share his struggles with isolation on tour.

Blake participated in a panel titled "You Got This: Managing Suicide Crisis in the Arts Population" at the Performing Arts Medicine Association's annual symposium last month. During the discussion, he opened up about his struggles with mental heath, the detriments of unhealthy eating habits and being overcome by a feeling of isolation despite being surrounded by others.

"Your connection to other people becomes surface level," Blake said of life on tour. These feelings led to depression and "eventual suicidal thoughts." "If you were only in town for one day and someone asked you how you are, you go into the good stuff … which generally doesn't involve how anxious you feel [or] how depressed you feel."

A GRAMMY-nominated artist with devoted fans around the globe, Blake's story is proof that success cannot assuage depression, anxiety or suicidality. If anything, the pressures and demands of success — and the touring that follows — can stunt progress and fuel mental health issues. "I was taken away from my normal life essentially at an age where I was half-formed," Blake said.

But for Blake, the fight against mental health challenges has been a successful one. He has stood up to say "no" to constant touring, and he's become an advocate for battling depression and suicide by speaking up. In a post on Twitter, he declares, "It is only ever a good thing to talk about what is on your mind."

Blake's simple strategy of communication can work wonders for touring artists, especially males who find themselves feeling isolated and alone on the road. "There is no great victory in machismo and bravado in the end," he wrote. "The road to mental health and happiness, which I feel so passionately about, is paved with honesty."

Blake also dispelled the myth that true creativity requires some form of suffering, sharing his first-hand experience to the contrary.

"There is this myth that you have to be anxious to be creative, that you have to be depressed to be a genius," Blake said. "I can truly say that anxiety has never helped me create. And I've watched it destroy my friends' creative process, too."

Since recent data shows more and more people are battling mental health issues and at risk of suicide, the need for artists such as Blake to tell their stories becomes more and more acute. Music can inspire us and change us when it comes from the heart of another human being. Similarly, stories such as Blake's can remind us we are not alone, no matter how far from home a tour may take us.

"We are the generation that's watched several other generations of musicians turn to drugs and turn to excess and coping mechanisms that have destroyed them," Blake said. "There are so many high-profile people recently who have taken their own lives. So we have a responsibility to talk about it and remove the stigma."

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.